Showing posts with label heart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heart. Show all posts

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Up close & Personal

So, it’s been a while since I’ve written. Most recently I wrote about The Process & Lyrics to ease a heavy heart… It’s crazy how much can change from one blog post to the next. Tuesday, December 18th, Our precious Wadagens went to be with Jesus. The best way for me to explain Wadagen’s journey is to send you to Dixie’s post on God’s Littlest Angels blog site-- Wadagens... A true angel tonight. It’s still very surreal. One day this precious little boy is living in our room the next he is living in the arms of Jesus. Dixie said it best in her blog post…

“As a nurse, it affects you when you lose someone you have been taking care of in the hospital, but not quite like in the orphanage, because YOU are the mother of these children. They are yours. We stand in the place of their mamas to be there to kiss them when they fall down, hug them when they need assurance or just a little bit of love, and to keep ourselves between them and danger. So when we lose a child at the orphanage, we grieve like a mother, because we ARE their mamas. Even if it’s just for a short time, our role is as their ‘MOM’.”

Although I miss Wadagen's I am comforted in knowing he is up sitting next to Jesus with his heart healed and whole...  and he's making silly faces at him! (Wadagen's didn't speak... but he sure did know how to make silly faces!)

Much has happened since then, my first Christmas & New Years in Haiti has come and gone. Although I missed my family greatly, I am blessed by increasing the size of my family through those I am surrounded by at God's Littlest Angels. I went on my first "hike" through the mountains this past Saturday... When in Haiti, you have to look past the garbage and litter that clutters the streets and look to what God has so beautifully and perfectly created. Most everybody and everything is hard to see, imagine, comprehend and may even be ugly when viewing it up close and personal. God can change your perspective, help you to look past the dirty window, trash, heartache, bitterness to see the Awesomeness He is and has created. Just think, God sees us up close and personal... ugly as ugly can be, but He looks past all of our flaws and ugliness and sees a beautiful, perfectly created, captivating person whom he loves and cherishes.

Healing is always a process. Grieving and healing is different for everyone but I am so glad there is hope found through Jesus Christ. I am blessed to have found that Hope. Over the past week I have had Casting Crowns "The Well" CD pretty much on repeat... If you don't own it, I suggest you buy it. Every song has me thinking, praying, & processing more than the next.


And all who thirst will thirst no more, 
And all who search will find what their souls long for, 
The world will try, but it can never fill, 
So leave it all behind, and come to the well


So bring me your heart

No matter how broken, 
Just come as you are, 
When your last prayer is spoken, 
Just rest in my arms a while, 
You'll feel the change my child, 
When you come to the well



So as my first post of 2013, but really a wrap up of the last few weeks of 2012... Here are some pictures to piece together the last few months of 2012.
Family Vacation-2012








Sara's Wedding

Abby's Wedding!

My life group-Summer 2012 Love these girls!
Triathlon #3--Complete! So blessed to have these girls by my side!







My last night at Duke- With Jacquelyn!

The new view :)







First Haiti beach experience!

Rebecca & I waiting to bring Wadagens home!

Most of the GLA staff here in Haiti


Best popcorn ever! NYE 2012



This smile=best Christmas present ever!

NYE at The Fort
And now that you're full, 

Of love beyond measure, 

Your joy's gonna flow, 
Like a stream in the desert, 
Soon all the world will see 
that living water is found in me, 
Cause you came to the well

And all who thirst will thirst no more, 
And all who search will find what their souls long for, 
The world will try, but it can never fill, 
So leave it all behind, and come to the well

-Casting Crowns "The Well"
...to be continued...

-B

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Lyrics to ease a heavy heart.


Jars of Clay: Love Will Find Us



Child of all creation don't let the world define you
And if you can't remember who you are
Let these words remind you

On the path of the empty handed
He will speak to the heart of the abandoned

These orphan hearts (Will find a home)
Run to these arms (Be not alone)
Light is leading
Love will find us all
Love will find us all

So hard to feel the fires of home
When all we see is darkness
We forgive but not our own and grasp what's around us

Till the dawn starts to break around you
Let all the stars in the night remind you

These orphan hearts (Will find a home)
Run to these arms (Be not alone)
Light is leading
Love will find us all
Love will find us all

These orphan hearts (Will find a home)
Run to these arms (Be not alone)
Light is leading
Love will find us

These orphan hearts (Will find a home)
Run to these arms (Be not alone)
Light is leading
Love will find us all
Love will find us all

Run to these arms, be not alone
Run to these arms, be not alone
Run to these arms, be not alone
Run to these arms, be not alone

Love will find us all
Love will find us all
Love will find us all (Run to these arms, be not alone)
Love will find us all (Run to these arms, be not alone)
Love will find us all
Love will find us all

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Something heavenly.


Well, first things first... November 11, 2012 at just about noon, I stepped back on the soil of my new home... Haiti! Rebecca & I met in Miami airport just before departure to Port au Prince... besides a slight electrical problem on the airplane prior to departure (Thank the Lord!!), traveling went smoothly!! We then met a few nice gentlemen who helped us find our bags and escorted us to where Joyce & Molly were waiting!  The car ride was pretty short up into the Kenscoff Mountains where God's Littlest Angels calls home. The roads were primarily paved & there was even a yellow line dividing the sides of the road... not that anyone pays attention to them!!


Fort Jacques- Toddler 'Pods' 1-3 built, 4-6 being built!

We then arrived at GLA and were welcomed with open arms, balloons, streamers, signs & cookies! Seriously, the staff here is wonderful and inviting and am so glad to be a part of the GLA team! Over the last few days Rebecca & I have been settling in at GLA and into our wonderful accomadations! We've gotten the tour of the main house where we will be working and the NICU is along with the younger children & we were also able to be apart of cinema night at the toddler house which is about a 10 minute drive from the main house... Oh my goodness, such a fun time with all the kids (and with the staff as we worked together to make popcorn for the kids).  Today, Rebecca and I also went up to Fort Jacques where the new orphanage is being built... It's absolutely beautiful! Seriously, God never ceases to amaze me in the beauty he has created for us to enjoy.

We also have been getting oriented to the different nurseries at the main house and attempting to remember names of the children, nannies, nurses, & staff... Not to mention trying to communicate with our broken Haitian Creole! Can not wait to have language lessons!! I'm sure I'll have lots of fun stories about conversations getting lost in translation!

I have been a little under the weather since I left the U.S.... unfortunately I feel like I'm dragging a bit and a little foggy, so I apologize if this blog seems like a ramble.  Overall though, I am feeling excited about my new home and also thankful for God's provisions!  Well, that sums up the last 4 days in very little words but before I go, I want to thank those in the States that sent me off. Thank you for your prayers, support & love. I am so thankful for each one of you and blessed to have you in my life! 

...to be continued...

-B

"Whatever you're doing inside of me 
It feels like chaos but now I can see 
This is something bigger than me 
Larger than life something heavenly
Something heavenly" 
-Sanctus Real "Whatever you're doing"

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Oh, North Carolina.

I pre apologize for the potential length of this blog....

Ok. So. Where to begin?! I have less than 48hrs left here in North Carolina and up until now, everything has been very surreal. I have worked the past four nights, so the mental processing of leaving NC so soon hadn't really kicked in, but then everything starting coming together and the good-bye's starting happening... North Carolina has been a special part of my life.

To give you a little background....  I've kind of always been a goal oriented, self sufficient, work hard & play if time permits type of girl. Life in Pennsylvania after about 10th grade was very much about going to school and working my butt off to make money (and then spend it). I took care of others more than I took care of myself and may have found myself  in situations that were not the best or safest. Relationships came and went and hearts were cracked but somehow God managed to get me out of this so called "transition" time fairly unscathed with family and a few close friends by my side.

Then in March 2010 I decided it was time for a change; so in May of that year I packed up my things and headed South to North Carolina. I knew God had plans for me, I just wasn't really sure on what those plans would be. So I start my life in Durham, NC working at Duke as a RN and getting into this "new" life. For the first time since high school I was only working one job while finishing my Bachelor's degree. Seriously, I didn't even know what to do with myself. Having just one job kind of seemed silly but I did manage to pick up a great baby-sitting gig for a then intern, his wife & their two precious twin girls... Seriously that family brings such a smile to my heart! ((Mesi, m'ap sonje ou!)) Although work is work, I was really impressed with the team work on my unit and to see people who truly cared. God also blessed me with a best friend  & forever friend at work who kept me grounded and sane while in the "trenches" that is oncology-nursing. Many mornings were spent eating breakfast together after night shift or just a quick coffee & chat when ever scheduling permitted! ((Mesi, m'ap sonje ou!))

Also while in NC, I started attending newhope Church. It is there that I joined a small group/bible study (which I have mentioned before) with some of the most amazing girls. We have cried, laughed, prayed, screamed, struggled, encouraged, and rejoiced (etc) with each other... Oh, and don't forget the swimming, biking, & running!!! Yeah, Triathletes! Seriously though, many of our lives have changed drastically since then but they all have become better just by being together (at least mine has). ((Mesi, m'ap sonje ou!))

Newhope is also the place that introduced me to The 410 Bridge and sent me packing with amazing newhope missionaries to Kenya & Haiti.

Yes, this is where I found Haiti. My new home. My passion. My purpose. 


Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the day I say my official good-bye's to my closest friends here in North Carolina.  That last breakfast after night shift, the last small group. Bittersweet... yet, I know there will be a lot of "see you later's" to be said because they are forever friends. I can't thank God enough for bringing us together for this season of our lives.

North Carolina, Duke, Newhope and the people who have been there throughout-You have forever changed my life. ((Mesi, m'ap sonje ou!)) Can not wait to skype, email, kik, & update y'all (had to sneak in the y'all) from Haiti and God's Littlest Angels!!!!

Mesi, m'ap sonje ou! ((Thank you, I will miss you))

...to be continued...

-B


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Kòman ou ye?

Me & Abby- An oldy but goody.
Ok, so I feel like I've been slacking a bit this week on posting. This past week was filled with one thing... Work. I don't mind though... Working helps me get to the goal of paying off all my school loans and getting to Haiti! Right?!? One other reason I don't mind working so much this past week is because I now have the next week to spend with one of my best friends Abby! She is coming to NC!!! YAY for visitors!!! I may slack on posts this week too, so I can spend some much needed time with Abby!

In my last post I wrote about dreaming a God-sized dream. Honestly I'm scared but not fearful, if that makes sense. There is a lot that goes into moving to another country... I'm finding all of this out gradually as I continue searching & researching Haiti, but I know all of it will come together. Recently one of my co-workers asked me about my heart and being in Haiti. I immediately thought she meant spiritual heart which still has a lot of work and growing to do but I knew that with God's help I was up to the challenge... and that's what I told her.... Well, she meant my physical heart... many of those who are reading this know me and know that I have had a heart problem since I was a teenager.. At the age of 16, I had an ablation, (not open-heart surgery) which for the most part slowed down my heart so it wouldn't continue to beat in the 260's sporadically... and yeah that's not a typo. Thank goodness for medically advances... The biggest thing I will have to be careful about is drinking the Haitian coffee... That stuff is strong!! God has been preparing both my spiritual & physical heart...

Some of the girls! After our first tri!
About 8 months ago I did my first sprint triathlon & this past march on my 25th birthday I did my second and in about 4 months I will do my third!! In the last post I gave you my life-verse Philippians 4-6&7 which is in regard to my spiritual heart... Now my motto for my physical heart is "Proving the doctors wrong, one tri at a time!" Get it, one tri!!! I know it's corny but so true. I started doing these triathlons with my life group from newhope (I told you they would come up again during my blogs)... One of many reasons I am so thankful to have these girls in my life. We not only encourage each other spiritually but physically as well.

Ok, enough of Brit's background... back to how I am getting to Haiti! I've been doing a lot of research on organizations in Haiti and those who are doing good things vs those who are not. It is an absolute shame to see there are so many corrupt organizations taking advantage of not only those people in Haiti but also those who think they are donating their money to a "good cause". I've narrowed my list down to a few organizations that I would love to be involved with... but hey if you have any connections, let a girl know!!! I think I say this at the end of most of my blogs... but this is a work in progress like so many things are in life.... while working towards my goals, I try to remember that God's timing may not be my timing.

P.S. While I prepare for Haiti... I'm practicing my Haitian Creole!!! Anyone want to have a conversation?
I'll start:

Mwen rele Britany. Ki jan ou rele? Kòman ou ye?


...to be continued...


-B